The best landscape photographs of 2016

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U.S.A. Landscape Photographer of the Year: Alex Noriega -Sunrise light illuminates Mount Rainier as it rises above low clouds, seen
from high above Tipsoo Lake, Washington. This picture was chosen by the judges from the thousands of entries received from over 40
countries across the globe.
Alex Noriega

A stunning view of Mount Rainier has won the top prize in this year’s search for the USA Landscape Photographer of the Year. Portland, Ore.-based photographer Alex Noriega's picture of Mount Rainier as it rises above low clouds was chosen from the thousands of entries received from over 40 countries across the globe, all celebrating the beauty of the American landscape. Additional categories include Classic View, My USA, Black and White, Urban and Environmental Value. Click through the gallery above for a look at the winners and runners-up, and find more information about the contest at usalandscapephotographeroftheyear.com.

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U.S.A. Landscape Photographer of the Year: Ted Gore. "This image was taken in the Ibex Sand Dunes of Death Valley National Park. It was absolutely clear out so I thought of the concept for this image. I shot the land after the sun went down when there was still some ambient light left, and then waited in position until the milky way came out in its full glory, and positioned itself in the place I wanted it to be, straight up and down."
Ted Gore

U.S.A. Landscape Photographer of the Year: Ted Gore. "An impressive cloud formation passes over the Mesquite sand dunes in Death Valley National Park. I shot this on the tail end of a week long trip in the Eastern Sierra where I drove thousands of miles total in search of great compositions and great weather conditions. This was certainly a highlight."
Ted Gore

U.S.A. Landscape Photographer of the Year: Ted Gore. "In December of 2013 my wife turned 30 years old. This wasn't easy for her, as is true for many when turning 30, I'm sure. So, to soften the blow, I sneakily planned a getaway for she and I to the island of Maui. We spent 5 days enjoying ourselves, and of course in the evenings (and some early mornings) I'd head out to see if I could catch a shot or two. This was the best light I saw during those 5 days. This arrangement of a Heliotrope tree in a bed of ferns caught me in my tracks at just the right time as I was walking by it down the shore. I had to act fast because the sky was already going off, but I found my composition quick and fired off the shots."
Ted Gore

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USA Landscape Photographer of the Year: Nagesh Mahadev of Lewisville, Texas: A view from Glacier National Park in Montana blends exposures of the sky and the land, accentuating the light. The setting is "the most stunning place to photograph ... It's a mesmerizing experience," Mahadev says.
Nagesh Mahadev

My USA Winner: Miles Morgan of Ridgefield, Wash.: Lightning strikes over Mount St. Helens. "The annual bloom brought (me) to the mountain for some sunrise photography," says Morgan. "The weather was a surprise."
Miles Morgan

Judges' Choice Winner: Samuel Feron of Noisy-le-Sec, France: A silhouetted figure walks on sand dunes in Death Valley National Park in California. "I waited for the moment he would be at the very top," Feron says. "... (He) seemed to be lost in his thoughts."
Samuel Feron

Landscape on the Move Winner: Claire Onions of Dorset, England: A tree is reflected in the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. "It was not until I looked at it later that I realized that it reminded me of a Monet painting," Onions says.
Claire Onions

Black and White Winner: Nicholas Hill of Maidstone, England: A view from under the staircase at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York. "I leaned back, looked up and immediately saw the potential," Hill says. "It did not take long for security to stop me, but not before capturing this unique view of Manhattan."
Nicholas Hill

Classic View Winner: Jarrod Castaing of New South Wales, Australia: Metlako Falls on the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon on an overcast winter day. Castaing says he was surprised by "a feeling of stepping back in time as I saw the (falls) raging down to the river below."
Jarrod Castaing

Young USA Landscape Photographer of the Year: Vincent Bonafede of Fresno, Calif.: Morning mist rising in Yosemite National Park in California reminded Bonafede of an Ansel Adams image. "It was amazing," he says. "I wanted to create an image of my own that made me feel the same way."
Vincent Bonafede

Runner-Up USA Landscape Photographer of the Year: Jarrod Castaing of New South Wales, Australia: Sand Dunes in Death Valley, Calif., create endless waves. "... they appear deceptively modest, but running up and down gives your legs a very good workout," Castaing says. "The hardest part for me, however, was trying to not walk footprints into my own compositions."
Jarrod Castaing

My USA Runner-Up: Craig Bill: A view of Scripps Pier in La Jolla, Calif. "... I (had) plenty of time to explore and compose while watching the surfers dance around this pier," Bill says. "Everyone seemed to be enjoying and playing in the sun. It just felt so, well, California!"
Craig Bill

Black and White Runner-Up: Tom Kredo of Rochester, N.Y.: Mid-winter thaw along the Erie Canal in Pittsford, N.Y. "The combination of a short-lived January thaw and a cloudy day were the perfect ingredients to make the moody portrait of the railroad bridge," Kredo says.
Tom Kredo

Urban Runner-Up: Gail von Bergen-Ryan: Brushstrokes on a windowpane in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood create a swirl of motion. Bergen-Ryan found the pattern so beautiful, "they had to somehow become more permanent, saved from being washed away or broken. I wanted to know that I could see them again long after leaving the city," she says.
Gail von Bergen-Ryan

Runner-Up Young USA Landscape Photographer of the Year: Timothy Aiken of Stanford, Calif.
November at Big Sur. "... I found a cliff in a secluded cove well above the crashing waves to watch the end of another amazing day in California," says Aiken.
Timothy Aiken